Stage Fighting
by OfficiallyNonOfficial
Summary: Tori is apprehensive about her upcoming stage fight with Jade.  And with good reason.  Tori's injured and now Jade is consumed by guilt.  She never meant to hurt her or to be so cold, but how can she prove the opposite when that's all she's ever known?
1. The Push

**AN- Hey guys what goes on? So, anyway, I saw Victorious for the first time ever this week (it was the episode where Jade faked a black eye to get Tory in trouble.) I thought, hmm, this looks interesting. Then Saturday I watched Iparty With Victorious. All I have to say is, if desired, then one could take all that animosity from Jade towards Tory and translate it into something else entirely. So that's what I did and thus this fic was born. It's my first Victorious fic so please read & review- I want to know if I should continue with it. It's rated M for later chapters but I thought I'd keep the first one relatively Pg. It'll be a short fic so, yeah, definitely appreciate feedback. **

**PS- It's a Jori fic, meaning Jade and Tori TOGETHER in all sense of the word. If you don't like girly girly loving that's your problem not mine so lets keep it that way.**

It was an average, ordinary day at Hollywood Arts High School. The sun was shining, the birds singing, the people smiling- the cafeteria food revolting. The students went about their busy day collecting books and other material for their classes.

Yep, an ordinary day.

Except for Tori Vega.

She sat quietly amongst her friends Andre and Cat fiddling absently with the lettuce on her plate. She wasn't in a talking mood and her appetite had long ago disappeared. Her eyes kept darting across the yard, catching on the brunette a couple of tables down.

Jade seemed as cool and evil as ever and it unnerved her to no ends. A chill ran down her spine and her heart sunk when the lunch bell suddenly blared announcing the end of the period. She watched Jade gracefully lift herself from the bench and throw a sickly sweet smile her way before taking Beck's hand and disappearing around the corner.

A thought crossed her mind- maybe she could skip the next period! She could go to the nurse and pretend to have a stomach ache or the flu or a dizzy spell- anything to get her out of that class.

"Hey, Tori, you coming?"

"…Yeah…"

Tori quickly (and quite dishearteningly) threw the idea aside- with Andre and Cat waiting expectantly for her it would be impossible to skip the class.

Grabbing her purse, she begrudgingly followed behind the two talkative classmates, sending a silent prayer to whoever might be listening.

She watched, amazed and to be quite honest, more terrified than before as Andre and his partner savagely threw themselves around the stage. The acting was quite good. Too good actually. She could never hope to look that good getting beat up.

Unless it was for real. She'd be willing to bet a hundred bucks Jade thought the same thing.

Her dark eyes scanned the small room, taking in faces and expressions until she spotted the one she dreaded most.

Jade sat at the very far end of the classroom, her arms crossed over her chest as she checked her perfect nails with a bored expression.

Tori took a deep breath, feeling her insides tighten merely from looking at her- did she just mouth ,'YOU'RE DEAD VEGA?'

It was common knowledge that Jade had a mean streak in her, and it was almost a given that she absolutely cursed the day Tori came to Hollywood Arts. 90% of the time she was subject to Jade's verbal abuse. But the other 10%… well… let's just say she didn't wish to go there.

"Next up is Tori and Jade." The teacher announced.

Tori closed her eyes, hoping that when she opened them she would find this was all just a really, REALLY bad dream. What she saw was a too cheerful Jade wearing leather gloves, a beanie, and soul crushing smile on stage.

As she got up and proceeded to gear up she prayed today was not one of those 10% days.

She felt like an inmate on death row- not even her friends' cheerful faces nor their thumbs up could quell the apprehension she felt. On one note, her fear was completely justified. Jade wasn't exactly her number one fan- the girl made more threats at her than there were stars in the sky. Every chance she got was spent tormenting her with clever, cruel comments or over the top bordering on criminal pranks.

'Just breathe,' Tori told herself as she stepped on stage and proceeded to explain their scene. Jade would never actually hurt her right? Excluding the one time when she kicked her off the chair. Or the time she punched her in the face because of Cat…

'Crap!' She thought, feeling Jade's arms around her. Strangely enough, her skin didn't burn, her clothes didn't catch on fire from the contact. Jade's arms seemed…

"Give me all your money!" Jade barked, thoroughly enjoying the way Tori stiffened at her touch. One little "accidental" shove wouldn't kill her she figured. Her smirk grew as Sinjin threw her a thumbs up from the catwalk. Seconds later, Tori faked a swing at her face with a cane. She fell to the ground, pretending to be hurt and Tori towered over her preparing to strike again.

When Tori took the final step and raised the cane above her head, Jade rolled onto her shoulders then flipped onto her feet catching the confused brunette off guard. She winked, then rushed her making her backpedal. That was her downfall. Jade brought her foot down on the toes of Tori's shoe causing her to pitch backwards, her balance offset.

The second Tori crashed through the table was the moment Jade realized everything was wrong. Tori had come at her from the front when she should have come from the right side. A quick look over her shoulder revealed the pink whoppee cushion she'd persuaded Sinjin to stage beneath the table at her side. The collapsible table Tori should have fallen on.

"Everybody stay put!" The teacher yelled as he and Russ charged through the throng of students to Tori's side.

Tori groaned a hand on her temple while the other rested lightly on her stomach. A throbbing pain slowly but surely made itself known in the right side of her mid back and she was forced to bite her lip to the point of bleeding to keep from crying out.

That had to be the most sturdy collapsible table she'd ever fallen on.

"Tory, are you alright? Say something." The teacher demanded, looking absolutely terrified at the thought of one of his students being hurt. He grabbed a splinter and his expression darkened. "I thought I told you to move this table, Russ!" His head snapped to the side where the blonde haired student aid visibly paled.

"I-I thought I did!" He stuttered, eyes wide.

"Someone get the nurse in here." Andre said urgently noticing the way Tori had yet to stand. The pained look on her face sent a cold chill through his heart.

Tori squeezed her eyes shut as Russ and her teacher continued arguing. A headache pounded behind her eyes, only adding to the fire burning her side. The worst possible thoughts crossed her mind- what if one of her organs was punctured? What if she was internally bleeding or worse- one of the splinters pierced her and she was slowly bleeding out on the floor?

'Chill out, Tori.' She told herself. She hadn't fallen that hard, but the angle at which she turned resulted in the bottom of her ribcage smashing into the edge of the table. Taking a deep breath she willed herself to open her eyes.

She didn't notice it at the time, but out of all the people standing around her, fussing over her and asking her if she would be okay; out of all the people looking worried for her, Jade's expression was the most concerned, the most mournful, and the most heartbreaking. She thought she caught the beginnings of tears reddening her emerald eyes, but it could have been a trick of the light.

After all, since when did Jade feel anything other than joy when something bad happened to her?

"We'll see you tomorrow, Tori!" Her friends called, waving and smiling as they filed out of her hospital room. She offered them a weak smile before the door closed and her expression soured.

She was beyond upset, beyond hungry, beyond tired, and doped up to her hairline with morphine. All in all Tori was far from being as chipper as her friends had been spending all day in the emergency room with her.

The wait to see a doctor had been horribly long despite constant complaints to the staff from Cat, Trina, Andre, Robbie, Beck, and even Rex. Forgoing breakfast and lunch left a hole in her stomach, and she was a hundred percent sure she failed stage fighting.

Couldn't they give her points for effort?

Sighing, she was just about to kill the lights and attempt to get some sleep when a soft knock at the door drew her attention. Chocolate eyes quickly scanned the room, figuring Robbie left Rex lurking about somewhere or perhaps Cat was back to tell her some weird, disturbing detail about her family.

"Come in," she said, putting up a cheerful front.

Suffice it to say, she was definitely NOT expecting the person who came through the door with a stuffed white teddy bear in one hand, a single rose in the other.

Tori felt her brow twitch at the same time her jaw dropped.

"Hey," Jade said softly.

For her part, Tori began searching wildly over her shoulders, out the window, around the sides of her bed. Finding no one else in the room, she finally looked up, a confused look on her face. "Are you sure you're in the right room?" she asked, truly curious.

Jade rolled her eyes. Pushing a lock of hair behind her ear she bounced slightly on the balls of her feet. "Get off it, Vega." She mumbled.

Tori watched her intently, undecided if she should cry bloody murder now or actually wait for the brunette with blue streaks to try to smother her with a pillow first.

Several minutes passed in silence, the tension slowly mounting until Tori found herself wringing the IV line sitting in her lap.

She probably shouldn't do that.

Jade fought a battle within herself. Should she sit? Should she leave? Should she say she was sorry? Every one always expected her to be cold, indifferent, mean. Even Tori. Should she give her brunette classmate what she expected? She was torn, and frankly growing very uncomfortable beneath her steady stare.

"What?" She said defensively though decidedly with a little less sting than normal.

Tori pulled a face as she studied Jade- maybe it was the drugs, or did the ice queen actually look… nervous?

"Why don't you sit down?" She asked. The temptation to call her out on such uncharacteristic behavior was beat only by the urge to comfort her. This was one for the books- Jade actually had emotions!

Jade took deliberate slow steps, her eyes never leaving Tori. Finally reaching the bedside, she eyed the uncomfortable looking plastic chair before dropping herself into it. Now that she was this close, she could see just how tired Tori looked, and how, despite an attempt not to show the pain, it was etched into the tight lipped smile she tried to put out.

Her heart clenched a little.

Tori wasn't supposed to be hurt. Sure, humiliated, laughed at- it was what she aimed for. But never hurt. The plan was for her to fall onto the collapsible table and onto the whoppee cushion. Their skit hadn't required for her to go through the table in the first place and so no one bothered checking to see if- but that was the teacher's job damn it! He was supposed to make sure everything was set and ready for them! Why hadn't he checked the table?

Jade shook her head dispelling her thoughts. She could blame the teacher all she wanted but in the end it was she who tripped Tori and got her hurt.

She didn't know if she was amused or highly disturbed, but either way Tori was definitely intrigued by the show of emotions on display. Jade was cold, blasé, indifferent, stoic at best, and occasionally oblivious. Seeing those emotions so openly displayed, well, Tori was seriously starting to consider the fact that she might have pressed the drip a few times more than she intended.

"So… what are you doing?" She suddenly asked, tired of the awkward silence between them. Even Jade's witty, sharp tongued comments were preferred to this heavy, loaded silence.

"What's it look like I'm doing, Vega?" She snapped sounding frustrated. Oddly enough, it wasn't frustration towards her classmate but towards herself.

"Sitting there waiting for mold to grow on your ass?" She ventured.

Despite herself, Jade felt her lips twitch. "You're just jealous cus I'm awesome."

Tori chuckled, then regretted it instantly. Her hand automatically went to her side, her lips pursed and her eyes squeezed tightly. "Ouch.." she whimpered.

Jade tensed, her grip on the bear tightening impossibly. She was surprised the fluff hadn't seeped out of its nose yet. Instantly the guilt she'd felt earlier tripled on site. Another minute passed before Tori finally relaxed. When she opened her eyes Jade felt her breath hitch.

Tori was a lot of things- sweet, smart, infuriatingly nice, pretty (actually very pretty) outgoing, talented. She could admit to her mistakes, she knew when to apologize, and when to pass on the torch. She was far from stubborn, but Jade knew from that look in her eyes that she hated being weak.

And that's what Tori was right now- weak. Because of her…

"So.. What, you know, did the doctor say?" She asked quietly, unable to meet her eyes.

"A cracked rib, a few more bruised. It's nothing life threatening but I'll be sore for a few weeks." Jade scoffed, Tori frowned. "What?" She demanded.

Wavy dark locks rippled with a shake of her head. "Just sore?"

Tori grinned sardonically. "Excruciatingly sore."

"…I'm sorry, you know… I never meant for you to get hurt like this."

Tori closed her eyes, taking a second to collect herself. On one hand she wanted nothing more than to bitch Jade out, tell her she was stupid and conniving and evil for doing this. But the sympathetic side of her couldn't stand seeing her so down trodden, couldn't stand the guilt lacing her every word. Jade was meant to be a lot of things- defeated was not one of them.

Admittedly, she was knowingly granting her yet another victory. But she couldn't hold it against her simply because, well, she was Jade.

"Is that teddy for me?"

Jade brought her eyes up and she realized Tori was stunning. She looked so breathtaking even in a hospital gown with wires sticking out from her arm, tubes winding across her body, her luscious hair tied back in a simple pony tail, eyes red- she looked stunning even then.

And on that thought-

"I don't know," she smirked, feeling a little lighter for the first time in hours, "she might be too cute for you, Vega."

Tori huffed indignantly. "Or just too bitchy."

They shared a smile. A rare occurrence indeed. Tori wondered if maybe, just maybe they could actually become friends.

"Here," Jade handed her the small teddy bear proceeded by the rose. "I know you're sappy and all so I thought, hey what the hell, right?"

Tori hugged the stuffed animal to her chest. It smelled like Jade. Why did that put a smile on her face? "Thank you."

Jade cleared her throat, scratching the back of her neck. A small dash of rosy red tinged her cheeks. "Yeah, whatever."

Tori laughed a little. That must be her way of saying your welcome.

"I'll name her Jade…n," she added upon receiving a look. "Jaden."

An undecipherable look tinged her emerald eyes but as soon as she attempted to read it, it was gone, replaced by that cool oddly comforting demeanor of hers. "Admit it, Vega, you're secretly in love with me and you write Mrs. Jade West all over your notebooks."

Tori snorted, becoming a little flustered. "Yeah right, you wish," she mumbled under her breath. "I'm trying to be nice. I could name her," she tapped her chin thoughtfully, "I could name her-"

Jade stood, stretching a little before jamming her hands into her pockets. "I'm headed out. When are you-"

"Tomorrow afternoon." Tori answered.

"Great." A pause. Their eyes locked and unconsciously Jade bit her lip. Tori's gaze was smoldering, intense.

Something overcame her. Something she didn't recognize. Suddenly it was like watching herself through a movie. In four quick strides she crossed the room and placed herself at Tori's bedside. Leaning down, her hand slipped itself behind her neck, her fingertips cradling the soft hair there. Very softly, her lips pressed themselves against hers, the slightest pressure sending her pulse through the roof.

Someday she would look back on this and wonder what in the hell prompted her to kiss Tori Vega. Someday she would realize she'd made a mistake not by kissing her, but because she waited so long to do it. And someday she would wish a thousand times she could go back in time and stop herself from kissing her. She knew without a doubt everything had just been made complicated when before their relationship had been so simple.

But damn it if it wouldn't be worth it! Tori's lips were soft, tasted sweet, reminding her of clouds or cotton candy. It was quick it was simple and the other girl barely had a chance to register what was happening before she found the air in front of her empty once again.

"Later, Vega."

The door swung close, the audible click announcing Jade's departure.

Tori stared ahead long after the brunette left, her eyes unblinking as a thousand thoughts raced through her head at a million miles per hour. Strangely, she paid no attention at all as her fingertips brushed her lips.

What the fuck just happened?….

**TBC?**


	2. She's A Bummer

**AN: Okay, woooow… Honestly I never expected that amount of reviews for one measly chapter. You guys are f*ckin fantastic! XD **

**So I watched every episode of Victorious today and I have to be straight up- there isn't a lot of depth as far as the characters are concerned. I mean you can define every character with one word and that one word basically describes their entire personality as a whole (IE Cat is sweet, Jade is mean.) So I've taken some liberties in giving them a little more background. This will hopefully help with the whole depth and development issue. Hope you guys enjoy this. And as I said before this will be a short fic. Actually I'm thinking two more or so chapters. **

**Definitely Read & Review.**

**Cheers guys! ^^**

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><p>A picture is worth a thousand words.<p>

Didn't her mother always say that before she left? Her mother was a peculiar woman; though rich and powerful she hardly flaunted the fact, choosing to take the dogs for a walk in the park instead of attending those ridiculously priced country clubs like the other "privileged wives." Instead of sporting large diamonds, Gucci, and hundred thousand dollar dresses, her mother always seemed perfectly content in a nice blouse, comfortable jeans, and converse. Most days, while her father sold his soul to the devil, her mother could be found down by the beach with her tools painting portraits of anything and everything.

Her guilty pleasure, or so she said.

She recalled a time when she actually joined her mother for one of her little "trips" to the beach. Surprised didn't really do her reaction justice. She was shocked! Her mother seemed so happy as a young couple sat themselves down to model. Her hand glided gracefully across the canvas, her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth in deep concentration.

She'd laughed at that, but realized with clarity that this is where her mother looked truly happy. It's where she belonged.

A few minutes later she presented the couple with a breathtaking water colored portrait. When they asked how much, her mother waved them off, stating how much she enjoyed painting them.

That night she said a picture was worth a thousand words, but only one of those words was important.

Happiness.

As much as it hurt her to think about it now, looking back on those times, her mother never really seemed happy. She smiled a lot, sure. She kissed her father and held his hands and presented herself as his loving wife at all the functions. But she wasn't happy.

That was also the last time she ever saw her mother.

Sighing, Jade pressed her palms against her face. A soft breeze billowed her long locks around her face, the distance of her home from the city affording some darkness. The darkness calmed her, wasn't quite as harsh on her eyes like the light was, wasn't quite as demanding. It was inviting, subtle, alluring even. Yea, she liked the dark, like a cap on all her dark thoughts. It was impossible for her to feel angry in the dark because it sucked the energy right out of her leaving her drained, weak.

She found she could think better like this, too exhausted to waste energy on roundabouts, she got straight to the point of the matter. She was that type of girl- the type that had a really hard time letting something go once it got inside her head.

A certain starry eyed brunette was on her mind.

Jade kept staring at Tori's picture with emotions that defied definition. Excitement was there, and relief too, but there was also regret, chagrin, disappointment, and fear. For months now her routine consisted of constantly tormenting the aspiring pop star, making her believe that she truly rued the day she was born. Being mean was easy, uncomplicated. But now… now everything was changing.

Jade hated change.

The morning after her little beach escapade she woke up to find her father still lingering around the house. Typically her father was up by four to have his morning run, back by five, showered and clothed by five thirty, briefcase and keys in hand as he headed out the door by six.

Something was terribly wrong. As she'd walked up to her father's side, he'd handed her a post it note. She recognized her mother's neat handwriting scribbled across the paper.

The words were a blur to her, but she remembered the one word that stuck out at her like a sore thumb.

CHANGE.

Jade hated change, hated everything that came with it. Change meant no longer having that something constant and comfortable, it meant leaving what she knew behind in the hopes of finding something better. As was her experience, nothing better ever came along.

It only got worse.

Sometimes she wondered if that's the reason she clung to Beck. Beck was sweet, handsome, talented, nice, and a overall simple guy. In the three years since she knew him the only thing that changed was his shoe size. Beck was consistent, domestic.

Boring, she thought, safe.

The soft night sounds allowed Jade to withdraw to some protective corner of her mind and just for a moment it was silent as she gazed at the inky, dotted sky.

Why did she kiss Tori? What compelled her to do such a thing? Maybe it was the fact that she'd never seen bubbly, happy go luck Tori Vega look so… she wracked her brain for the right word, and came up with only one.

"I really need to stop reading romantic novels," she decided, hugging her knees to her chest. Tori had so much drugs in her she probably thought she was all just some really fucked up dream. With any luck by tomorrow she wouldn't remember that minute detail of her visit and everything would go back to normal.

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><p>It was an average, ordinary day at Hollywood Arts High School. The sun was shining, the birds singing, the people smiling- the cafeteria food revolting. The students went about their busy day collecting books and other material for their classes.<p>

Yep, an ordinary day.

Except for Tori Vega.

She sat quietly amongst her friends at their lunch table, this time joined by Trina, Robbie, Rex, and Beck. Every other second some random girl or guy (or group) came up to her and asked how she was doing. For the most part, she put on a polite smile and told them she was fine but it was the furthest thing from the truth. She absently pushed around the large lettuce on her plate, not in a talking mood but for a whole different reason than the others might think.

Her eyes kept darting around the quad, seeking familiar blue streaks or perfect sculpture like features. She was sorely disappointed.

She breathed a sigh, leaning heavily against her hand.

"What's wrong, Tori? Are your ribs hurting?" Trina asked, and for once, sounded genuinely concerned.

Tori would have been shocked if she wasn't so downright miserable. "I'm fine…"

Trina's display of selflessness wasn't missed by the others. Several disbelieving eyes pinned her down.

"What?" The brunette snapped, gathering her belongings, "see what I get for trying to be nice?" That said, she marched away mumbling angrily the entire time.

Robbie's brows dropped from his hairline at the same time as Rex. "We're going to die." The puppet shrieked, his wooden face a mask of panic.

Andre scoffed and smacked the curly haired boy upside the head. Robbie grinned sheepishly and shrugged. "You have to admit, it's pretty darn scary when Tori's sister shows concern for someone else.

A chorus of "yeah's" and "true's" met his comment.

Beck, while amused by his friends' musing, angled his body towards Tori. He'd seen her look sad before, angry, upset, thrilled. But even at the worst of times she was jubilant, lively, and energetic. This, well, this bothered him. Tori Vega brooding? It just wasn't right.

"Hey," he said softly, scooting closer. To his surprise, Tori actually turned to look at him. "Are you okay?" he asked, concerned, "Do you need to go to the nurse?"

"No…"

Beck frowned, deeply concerned. Before he could get another word in however the bell rang signaling the end of their lunch period. He made to follow Tori but found she had already left and walked half way across the quad.

Throwing his hands up in surrender, Beck grabbed his bag and followed after the others.

Jade felt like a specimen on a skewer as she entered Sikowitz class and her fellow classmates turned in their seats and stared at her. Now usually Jade craved this sort of attention, but not today. Andre's expression was glowering, Beck's concerned, Sikowitz's disappointed, Cat's a bit apologetic, Trina's accusing, Rex- well Rex-(od she hated that smug puppet! Ugh! Only Sinjin threw her a star struck smile and that's because he is unhealthily obsessed with her.

"Ahh, Jade, so nice of you to join us." Sikowitz said, his right hand holding a coconut to his lips with the other beckoning for her to take a seat.

Now would be a good time to say something witty or snarky. Instead the somber brunette trudged over to the seat furthest from the main group of students. Tossing her bag on the floor she threw herself into the hard chair, crossed her arms over her chest, and adopted a fierce scowl. She could still feel everyone's eyes on her.

The night wasn't any easier after staring unblinkingly at a photo. In fact, it only made things worse. She tossed and turned, and by four fifty decided sleep wouldn't come to her. She waited in her bedroom until she heard her father's car pull out of the driveway before tossing the sheets aside and stalking into her bathroom.

Dark circles rimmed her eyes, her complexion a little paler than usual. Her eyes looked dimmed, like the lights were on but there was no one home. She grimaced, disgusted by her reflection and jumped into the shower.

The prospect of staying home greatly appealed to her. It wasn't until midday that the silence of such a large, empty home burned her and she threw on a black hoodie, some loose jeans, a pair of converse and a pair of dark shades, grabbed her keys, and headed out the door.

The plan was definitely not heading back to school, but before she knew it she was standing outside Sikowitz's door, her hand reaching for the knob.

'What a great fucking idea! Just like kissing Tori!'

Okay, she reasoned, blaming Tori for something SHE did totally wasn't rational. Since when did she give a damn if it was rational or not? 'Since you started crushing on her.'

Jade wasn't exactly sure when it happened, when she crossed that fine line between love and hate where it concerned the bane of her existence. All she knew was, one day she didn't quite derive the same amount of pleasure from verbally lashing at her boyfriend's best friend. One day it wasn't as much fun kicking her off of a chair; one day it hurt when Tori walked away instead of asking why they couldn't be friends like she always did.

Tori fought. She seriously fought against the urge to look over her shoulder to the other side of the classroom. But eventually she lost the battle, and, as subtly as she possibly could, snuck a glance through a curtain of her hair.

Before last night she always considered Jade one of the prettier girls she'd met. Her ebony locks coupled with her pale skin and smoldering green eyes made her quite the treat to look at. But now- now everything was different. She noticed little things that escaped her notice before. Like the way she worried her bottom lip, the smallest hint of a crease between her dark brows; the way her left leg made the slightest bouncing movements; the way her bangs curled out at her temple, the blue streaks intensifying the color of her eyes. And her eyes…

Jade snuck a glance of her own. Their eyes met. Tori never glanced upon anyone with eyes as intense and completely overwhelming as her's.

Her breath caught in her throat, if she stared too long she might die from lack of oxygen! It was as if Jade's presence demanded such attention that she actually forgot how to breathe!

A shiver ran down her spine as the brunette frowned, Frowned! Not scowled, not sneered- frowned!- proving to her once again that last night's visit had indeed occurred. Jade had left her with an overwhelming sense of confusion (and a teddy bear!)

Slowly, like a drizzle of honey, it dawned on her that while she was perpetually confused amongst other things, she wasn't THAT bothered by the actual kiss itself.

Her fingertips traced her lips for the millionth time, a look of deep concentration creasing her brow. Once again, her eyes sought Jade, and when they met, something like a spark ignited in her chest. Jade's eyes were on her, on her lips. It was… intense.

And just like that the moment was lost to the piercing chime of the bell. Feeling flustered, Tori sat patiently, waiting for the crowd to thin out-she had enough trouble keeping her limbs attached on a good day. No need to test her tolerance for pain.

Fortunately, her friends decided to hang back as well, flocking to her side like moths to a flame.

"So what's on the agenda for this weekend?" Andre rubbed his hands together. He was always eager to find a party that might potentially expose him to the public.

"We should go to the beach!" Cat clapped excitedly, ever the happy little camper.

For once the others agreed with her.

"I could get us a killer sound system." Andre offered.

"I can bring the RV," Beck suggested.

"I can dance!" Cat chimed in enthusiastically.

Andre chuckled, wrapping his arm around the bouncing redhead. "You're just too sweet,"

"Thank you," she beamed, then, her expression saddened. "Oh.."

Andre took a step back, Cat's mood swings were likely to cause whiplash. "What'd I do?"

Cat scuffed the tip of shoe against the concrete, looking truly upset. "Well if I'm too sweet I'll give you tummy aches and cavities and those hurt."

Tori rolled her eyes, but she had to admit, that was pretty funny. She chuckled, then hissed, forgetting about her affliction. Her arms wrapped themselves protectively around her torso. It was one measly rib for crying out loud! It shouldn't bother her this much.

"I'm okay," she said to her friends who looked a cross between angry and concerned. She couldn't possibly fathom why they would be angry of all things.

It was Andre who enlightened her.

Whirling on Jade, he brought himself toe to toe with stony faced brunette who up until now had kept uncharacteristically quite through their exchange. "See what your stupid pranks did? You're lucky Tori hasn't told the principal. You should thank her."

She expected this. Tori's friends were protective of her, fiercely so. But she wasn't counting on her trachea squeezing itself in a vice making it hard to breathe normally. She didn't count on that guilt coming back with a vengeance.

"I should thank her?" She growled, her tone icy and her voice low. At the moment Jade was aware she gave the impression of a rabid lioness.

"You should apologize, too."

"Hide me, you fool! This about to get ugly!" Rex hid his face in Robbie's chest. The nerd patted his back in a comforting manner though all he wanted to do was run away. If Jade's looks could kill…

She gawked at the two, and for the first time in the history of Tori Vega, she didn't know who to defend. Logically, she should defend Andre. He was her best friend. He was only trying to protect her.

But everyone knew logic was overrated. An image of Jade's sad eyes flashed in her head. Consciously, she stuck her hand inside her bag, her fingers coming to grip the soft fuzzy bear hidden in there.

It was all the prompting she needed.

"Andre, relax. It was an accident, Jade didn't mean it. It was just a stupid, little accident."

Jade was positively fuming, seething. If life were a cartoon steam would be spewing from her ears, black spirals spinning in her eyes. She had half a mind to castrate the young composer with a pair of scissors when Tori's melodic voice drained her on the spot.

"I don't need you defending me, Vega," she said quietly before storming out of the room.

Tori watched her leave, too dumbfounded to do anything but feel as her heart gave a painful tug.

Andre scoffed, glaring daggers at the floor. "She was out of line, Beck. That was a stupid thing to do."

Beck raised his hands in surrender. "I'm not defending her." He said honestly. He wondered, what had Jade's panties up in a twist this time?

Oh well. Let her blow off some steam. Quite frankly, it was getting harder for him to pretend to be worried when all he really was was annoyed by her bratty behavior. He didn't understand her at the best of times.

He never would.

* * *

><p>Ask anybody attending Hollywood Arts High- they would tell you. It could be the most random person, the biggest nerd, the dorkiest guy, the queen b, the loner, heck even the janitor. They would all agree on one thing,<p>

Tori Vega and Jade West did NOT get along. Their rivalry was legendary dating back to Tori's first day of school after she wowed the crowd at what should have been Trina's big debut.

The lesson that day was on improvising, and boy did Jade ever improvise. She doused an unsuspecting Tori with a cup full of black coffee after she made the fatal mistake of touching Beck.

From there it only got worse.

So when Tori found herself laying in bed with her phone in hand, Jade's number highlighted, and her thumb lingering over the send button she seriously began doubting her sanity.

They weren't friends, far from it. If today's display was any indication then she imagined they'd gone so far as to regress what ever progress they made over the last couple of months.

Then again...

"Ugh!" She yelled, grabbing a pillow and placing it over her face. Why were her thoughts so jumnled and unorganized and chaotic? Like a train wreck in her head!

If only suffocation could solve her problems.

"Okay. Just pick up the damn phone and call." No use planning further than that. She didn't actually expect the feisty, temperamental brunette to let her get past a hello.

'Just do it,' she repeated. Honestly, what was so damn hard about picking up the phone and calling?

The talking part. Maybe even the breathing part.

On the first ring her pulse sped up, on the second sweat formed at her brow, on the third she was halfway finished chewing her nails, and on fourth,

"Hey," Tori squeaked, she could almost hear her nerves frying, "it's Tori."

Silence, then a heavy sigh. "It's called caller ID, I know who it is." Jade's tone, while far from friendly, was oddly placid.

Tori smacked herself. Smooth move kemo suave. Why couldn't she ever act normal or even sane where she was concerned?

She was about to apologize for bothering her when the throaty chuckles filling the line stopped her cold.

"Did you smack yourself?" Jade inquired, sounding amused.

She was laughing at her. Why did it make her smile in return? Jade always laughed at her, it was nothing new. Somehow it gave her hope. This was certainly progress- she wasn't talking to a dial tone yet.

"Yeah," Tori said, embarrassed for no apparent reason. She pushed a stray lock behind her ear, wondering if her racing heartbeat could be heard over the phone.

Another chuckle. Did she call the right number? Checking her phone she smiled as a picture of Jade glared back at her. Yep, it was her alright. Her jaw dropped. What if the real Jade got abducted by aliens who were mind controlling her? It would certainly explain the unexplainable.

"Vega?"

"Sorry, spaced out." Understatement. "So, uh, what's up?" Okay, awkward. But she couldn't relax, not while constantly worrying about being hung up on. Which she was still waiting on. Any second now Jade would crush her with that infamous, clever, sharp tongued wit of hers.

"You called me," she stated simply. Tori got the distinct impression Jade didn't mean that in an offensive manner. "… What are you up to?…"

...

An hour and forty five minutes of talking on the phone later and Jade had come to two conclusions. 1) She was in the Twilight Zone. 2) Maybe Tori hit her head on that table.

She rolled her eyes good naturedly, listening to the brunette go on about some pop star or another. Surprisingly enough she didn't have the uncontrollable urge to hang up the phone and punch a hole in her pillow.

Jade was far from the angry, sometimes vain, superficial girl everyone believed her to be. That's why she couldn't stand self absorbed girls like Trina, and she could not understand painfully simple girls like Cat. She thought Tori was just like her sister, but she quickly learned that was not the case.

Vega had to be the most layered, complicated girl to ever set foot on the planet.

'You think you know someone,' she mused silently. There was no doubt Tori thought the same about her.

"You realize you're talking in circles, right, Vega?"

Her own voice sounded foreign to her ears. Too interested, too soft.

"Right," Tori said sheepishly, and just for a second, if she closed her eyes tight enough, Jade pictured the brunette.

Tori bit the inside of her cheek. As much as she wanted to stay on the phone with Jade, there was school tomorrow. She truly dreaded it. Simply listening to her voice let her discover new things about her. This was nice. If she had her way… she and Jade would be friends.

'Just friends, Tori? What about the kiss?' Her subconscious chose now of all times to voice the thoughts that were better left alone. Sadly, last night's visit left her feeling alone, confused, and somewhat elated. A strange combination indeed.

"Jade?"

"…Yeah?…" It was back, that guarded edge that defined her so well. Tori imagined the walls Jade built for herself- they were getting thicker, closing their doors to her once again.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

But it was now or never. If she didn't ask now she would lose her nerve forever. Not knowing why Jade West kissed her was not something she could handle living with. She had to know, she just had to because even if she didn't ask it would always loom over her head like her own personal dark cloud.

Not that she felt that way about the kiss! No, that kiss was short, sweet, timid, and warm-everything she'd ever thought a kiss should be. Except not from Jade.

Jade is Jade after all.

"I-I," sucking in a deep breath, Tori hoped this was for the best. She was risking something big by asking, she just didn't know what exactly she was risking. "Jade… you kissed me." A sharp intake of breath met her through the line. "Why? Why did you kiss me?"

The digital clock ticked the seconds away but she could have sworn they stretched on for hours. Yet, once the broody teeenager spoke, she would do anything to slow down time.

"Don't call me again."

"Jad-"

The line went dead. Tori stared at the black screen of her phone. Somewhere in the house Trina moved about doing some thing or another. Probably something stupid and pointless. As usual. She didn't want to know, didn't need to know because the one thing she really did want to know, she couldn't.

Releasing a breath, Tori swept her hair up into a ponytail, mindful of her injuries. Her side smarted, and even now after several doses of medication the throbbing was a constant reminder. Oddly enough, she found a few broken bones were nothing compared to this sudden ache in her chest.

Laying on her side, she laid her cell on the pillow next to her. After such a pleasant hour, could she really blamed if every few seconds her eyes snapped open hoping to find a new text message or ready to answer on the first ring?

But the phone never rang and Tori Vega spent the rest of the night clinging to Jaden.


	3. Rest AND Motion

Sometimes she felt like there was two different people inside of her. The two egos were constantly at war with each other, fighting tooth and nail, contradicting every decision and making it so she spent the better part of the night sitting in the darkness of her room that night, staring blankly at the wall in front of her.

A part of her regretted hanging up on Tori. They'd been having fun, a good time, laughing and joking with each other. Almost as if they were friends. She found herself smiling at the thought.

Then the other half popped up, her dark half, the one that made her life a living, breathing nightmare. She was insecure, scared, and all too willing to throw the first punch.

She was awake when the sky began changing colors, morphing from a deep, bruised purple to a navy blue with hints of pink and orange. The sun finally slipped over the horizon. A new day had begun without her. While she was held prisoner by her thoughts, the world kept spinning, moving on.

Time seemed to have lost all sense of meaning- so the sun was up again, what about it? It wasn't as if she liked the sun, it was too bright and always forced itself on everything and everyone. It meant she had to get up, put on her mask, and spend another day pretending to be something less than human because that's just the way people knew her to be.

"Jade! You're going to be late for school!" Her father bellowed, his voice carrying all the way from the kitchen. He was, undoubtedly, in there preparing his morning caffeine fix, newspaper in one hand while the other held his black, leather briefcase.

Jade rolled her eyes. The only reason her father gave a damn about school was because he paid a pretty penny for her to attend. Kicking the covers out of the way, she quickly dug out a white hoody from her closet along with a pair of jeans and blue converse. Beck would wonder why she was dressed so casually, so out of the norm for her. She couldn't be bothered to care what he thought, not today. Not for a while now.

Grabbing her keys from the dresser, she made a beeline for the front door.

As fate would have it, she bumped into her father who fixed her with a stern gaze. His gray eyes took in her appearance, a small scowl forming on his thin lips. "Go change."

Jade scoffed, jamming her hands into her pockets. Fortunately, she'd taken care to put on a pair of dark shades before leaving her room. If he thought she looked bad now, he would bust a vein if her saw her face. Her father was a stickler for appearances, always looking to impress everyone except those he needed to impress.

"I'm sorry, who are you again?" She snapped. Any attempt to reel in her temper would have been futile.

"I'm the one who pays for you to go to that lousy school." He said in a cold tone. The only emotion he ever handled her with.

She cocked her head to the side. "Oh. About time you did something right."

He rolled his eyes, swinging the door open. "I'm not going to do this with you right now."

"What a surprise." She didn't miss a beat.

"I have a business trip. I'll be gone for the rest of the week." He took an envelope from his breast pocket, " It should be enough to cover you through the weekend."

Jade watched him leave without another word. Moments later she heard his Mercedes roar to life and back out of the driveway. Tearing the envelope she peered at the quarter inch thick stack of hundreds. "Asshole." She muttered, tossing the envelope on the floor.

The door slamming behind her rattled the bay windows but she couldn't be bothered to check for damage. She hopped inside her convertible and stuck the key in the ignition, the engine roaring to life, that familiar purr putting a small smile on her lips. She slipped a small tablet from a hidden compartment inside the steering wheel and tossed it back.

She HAD to make today a good day, she had to make everything go back to the way it was.

* * *

><p><p>

"You look like your puppy died." Andre commented as he took his usual spot at their lunch table. Cat, Robbie, and Rex were already happily munching away while Tori pushed around the macaroni on her plate.

"I don't have a puppy," she said absently.

Andre cocked a brow at the brunette, she was looking at the cheesy pasta as if might answer all of life's greatest question. That or, the pasta killed her puppy.

"Oh!" Cat chirped suddenly, drawing their attention. "One time I saw a puppy chasing its tail in circles..."

Andre exchanged confused looks with Robbie. "What happened?" Rex barked.

"He lived happily ever after! Like Cinderella!"

Tori felt her lips twitch. Trust Cat to say something so... Cat-like. The tiny redhead flashed her a brilliant smile. It was hard to stay bummed when her friends were being so sweet and caring.

"You're something else." Tori said, holding her arms open for a hug.

Cat squealed and all but threw herself into her arms. "Yay! I love hugs!"

"I hear they give a lot of those in the insane asylum."

Tori felt a shadow come over her. . . No, really, Beck was standing behind her, blocking out the sun. And who else might be with him? Oh, that's right. She didn't even have to turn around to know Jade was boring a hole in her back. It took everything inside her not to give to the urge to see her. Jade had hurt her enough.

"Hey Beck," she greeted, a tight lipped smile for the boy she usually considered a very close friend. Nothing felt right today, not his smile, nor his kind eyes, nor the fact that he had a very pissed off looking Jade hanging off of his arm. The urge to meet her eyes almost overcame the need to breathe. She turned quickly and busied herself with her food.

Beck frowned a little. "How are you feeling, Tori-"

"She's fine. Lets go." Jade pulled on his arm. He didn't budge.

"What's with the ice queen?" Rex laughed, felt the heat of her stare on his back, and ducked behind Robbie, trembling with fear.

Jade gave him her patented, slow, sickly sweet smile. "Beck here decided he wanted to interrupt our alone time to come see Vega."

"No one asked you to come." Andre commented, his expression stony.

"Beck did."

Beck sighed and rolled his eyes. Detaching Jade from his arm, he slid into the seat between Cat and Tori, placing his arms around both of them. "If you're going to be rude you can just go sit alone."

Jade shrugged. "Fine."

They watched her stroll across the quad, jump into her car, and speed off.

Beck's jaw dropped and he remained frozen to the spot even after Jade disappeared around the corner. "What just happened?" he asked, looking around the table for answers. His friends shared his shocked expression. Save for Tori. She looked torn between upset and pissed. Understandable considering the way his girlfriend had acted towards her.

"Jade's being Jade." Cat supplied.

For once they all agreed with her.

School went by excruciatingly slow for Tori that day. Seconds felt like minutes, minutes felt like hours, and hours felt like days. By the time the final bell rang it was all she could do not to jump out a window and run all the way home. She would have, but she wasn't looking to go home.

Jade had yet to return to school and she had the feeling the emerald eyed brunette didn't plan on it. She came to school with the intention of ending whatever sick game they were playing, with the intention to sit with her friends and enjoy the day much like she had before the accident. She was ready to accept Jade would forever be a cold, heartless bitch.

She'd been angry then. Now she was just worried. Obviously something was bothering Jade for her to act so rash. Well, more rash than usual. Jade was always rash. It's what made her Jade West.

She made quick work of the hallway and soon she was leaning on the hood of Trina's pink convertible anxiously awaiting her sister. She all but jumped her the second she came around the corner of the quad.

"Trina!"

"Hey Tori gues-"

"I need to borrow your car for a little bit."

Trina's expression would have been comical, you know, if she'd given a crap right about then. "Are you crazy?"

Tori took an intimidating step towards her. "I'll hook you up with Ryder Daniels if you do."

Trina frowned fiercely, but she knew she'd already won her over. "You better take care of it. And I want you to tell Ryder to pick me up tomorrow night at seven."

"Done." The brunette Latina climbed into the car and pulled out of the parking lot. Trina's loud, annoying voice yelled at her, something about needing a ride home. She'd find one. Hopefully.

Jade laid in her bed staring up unblinkingly at the ceiling. She didn't know how long she laid there, making out shapes of the odd patterns, laughing quietly to herself. It was dark out though, so she figured somewhere close to five hours. Funny how she couldn't remember a damn thing she'd done in that time. Her mind was too preoccupied with thoughts of a certain pretty, chocolate eyed Latina to care about herself.

She'd left with the intention of making things right, fixing things so they could be the way they were before. The second she spotted Beck she ran into his arms and claimed his lips in a long, thorough kiss that she was sure left him reeling. They pulled apart and he smiled at her his slow, boyish smile that used to make her knees weak. He wanted to talk. He always wanted to talk. She NEVER wanted to talk.

He was floored really when she dragged him into the janitor's closet and they spent the better part of the day making out. The thoughts concerning a gorgeous brunette eventually died down and for the first time in days she didn't feel like driving a spike through her brain. They left only to start up again the second she spotted a full head of dark curls cascading down her perfect back.

Suddenly she felt dirty, ashamed of the dark marks on her neck and collar. She tore her hand away from Beck's, quickly throwing on her sweater and shades. Beck had given her a look which she ignored with practiced ease- that same practiced ease she used to be able to use on Vega.

Even now her palms were sweating, her teeth clenched until her jaw hurt. She was pissed, and all because Tori Vega of all people had visibly ignored her.

On some level she got it. But on a deeper, more sensitive -and man did she hate it!- level she was crushed by the fact that she wouldn't even acknowledge her.

Tori had accused her of stealing a kiss. But Tori hadn't pushed her away. In fact, she hadn't put up much of a fight. Granted, she hadn't given her enough time to do much of anything but still. . .

"Hello?" She croaked into her sleek, black phone. How it got into her hands or when she answered it was beyond her.

"Jade?" Called the unusually calm voice. Calm and Cat went together about as well as gasoline and matches.

"What?"

"What's going on with you? You're acting strange, even for you." The redhead accused in a very dark tone.

Jade wasn't the only one with secrets. As it turned out, Cat Valentine happened to be one of the most intelligent, conniving people she had ever met. Jade prided herself on being the smartest person she knew but Cat was just... stunning. She was two people, Cat, the ditzy, loveable, huggable girl she displayed to the world, and then there was Caterina Valentine, one bad-ass not even she cared to mess with.

"What are you talking about?"

"Cut the bullshit, Jade, it's me you're talking to."

Jade felt her eyes roll to the back of her head, her pulse reaching a crescendo. It stopped. She counted to ten before it started up again. A bead of sweat broke out across her brow, a wicked smirk tugging at her lips. "I kissed Tori, Cat." Silence. "I kissed her and I can't stop thinking about it."

Several moments passed. Finally Cat breathed out a scoff. "Well shit, Jade." She chuckled, her voice sending a chill down the brunette's spine. Cat had a warm, husky voice when she wasn't trying to be outrageously peppy. The kind of voice that made your name sound like the sweetest sin. "I didn't know you were into pussy. I mean, yeah, there was that one time with you and me-"

"It's not like that." She mumbled distractedly, twirling a blue strand of hair around her finger. She felt her cheeks flare up as she recalled that "one time" with Cat.

"I told you you'd get tired of Beck."

She flinched. She knew Cat meant it as a joke but she could still detect hurt underlying her words. "It wasn't like that, Cat-"

"I know Jade," she interrupted, "I'm just giving you shit. Did Vega freak out?"

"She called me last night." The conversation kept replaying itself in her head, even with Beck's tongue rammed down her throat, his rough hands squeezing her breasts, his erection rubbing against her thigh. "We talked for hours about nothing. Everything." Why was she telling Cat these things again?

"Because I know you better than you know yourself." Cat said confidently. Jade raised a dark brow, she wasn't aware she said that out loud. "So you talked on the phone. . .How was that?"

"It was...nice..."

"Nice?"

"Nice."

Cat barked out a laugh. She could imagine the redhead laying in her bed, velvet locks spread around her head like a fiery halo, black eyes burning a hole in the ceiling because Cat always had a smoldering gaze, one hand draped lazily by her head while the other... She gulped. "You like her." Cat concluded with certainty.

Jade combed lithe fingers through her wavy hair. Why was it so dark in here? The answer came to her when she brushed her hand across her red nose. She still had her sunglasses on. "Fuck you, Cat."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Jade."

She was about to make a promise she intended on keeping when the sound of the doorbell sent her stumbling out of bed. She regretted instantly, a headache pounding behind her eyes. "Someone's here." She said into the phone.

"Who is it?" Her best friend inquired. "Thought your dad was away for the weekend."

"He is."

"It's probably Beck." Jade swore she could practically hear the redhead rolling her eyes in disgust. It was no secret -to her anyway- that Cat hated Beck with a passion. And with good enough reason. They'd never gotten along the same after she chose Beck over her.

"It probably is." She agreed.

"Want me to get rid of him?" Cat asked, a little too eager.

She snorted a laugh. "No, Cat, you can't whack him."

"You're no fun."

"Cat-"

"Fine, fine, fine. A girl can dream, right?. . . Listen, I might need your help with something."

She knew exactly what something meant. She felt a rush of adrenaline just thinking about what her friend might possibly have planned. Cheap thrills if you would. "Sure." Her hand came to a rest on the doorknob. It was shaking. Maybe she'd overdone it this time. Without inquiring as to who was outside she threw the solid oak door open and nearly dropped the phone in her shock.

"Jade," Tori said breathlessly, her hair tousled, a wild, desperate look in her eyes. Those eyes. . . they were so dark and unreadable, like a black hole sucking her in.

"I'll call you back." She stuttered, the phone slipping from her grasp. "Vega." She said by manner of greeting, the hard edge back in her tone, "What are you doing here?" She demanded, a multitude of emotions assaulting her already fragile state of mind.

"This."

Jade's eyes widened, her body frozen in place as Tori claimed her lips in a searing kiss. . .

* * *

><p><p>

**AN: Dun, dunn, dunnnnnn! How's that for a cliffy? I'm sorry about the lack of updates guys, I went on vacation and apparently wireless doesn't work all that well in the middle of Alaska. Also, I had a brother pass away just this Saturday and he always encouraged my writing so I thought I'd get back to it. Review, let me know what you think. I'm thinking there might be a sequel or follow up but idk yet. . . Inspire me?**

**Also, I always liked the idea of Cat being a genius who likes to play dumb so she can move without being detected. **

**I'm seriously toying with the idea of a love rectangle plus one thingy. . . Love Cat, Jade, and Tori.**


	4. In Mind

You know that feeling you get when you wake up in the morning from the best dream of your life only to find out your reality is so much more sweeter than your fantasy? That feeling you get when you know you've woken up and you're not alone, that feeling you get when you coming to the realization that the person you woke up with is the person you could see yourself waking up next to for the rest of your life?

Well Jade didn't have that feeling. In fact, she felt the complete opposite.

She woke up some time before three am to find herself covered in a cold sweat, her heart racing, and her body trembling despite the warmth of her room. In that moment she realized two things- one, that it wasn't Beck's naked body pressed against her side, and two, she was okay with that. She pushed out the breath she'd been holding and found herself staring through the darkness, trying to make out the sleeping girl's features. Something had woken her, though, and it obviously wasn't Tori.

Two and a half hours later and she knew why she woke up with this overwhelming sense of doom sitting on her chest. Waking up next to Tori had to be the absolute most peaceful moment in her life.

And it would never happen again. Because Tori was a good girl and good girls didn't do these kinds of things; they didn't kiss with other girls, and especially not with cruel bitches like her whose hearts pumped ice water instead of warm blood. If Tori was the sky, bright and warm, then she was the ocean, dark and cold. No matter what she said, or what she thought she knew or wanted, eventually she would realize the mistake she was committing and run away to the safety of her good girl's life.

Sure, they'd all but devoured each other on her doorstep; sure they tore each others clothes off in a frenzy of hot, open mouthed kisses, leaving a trail of discarded rags all the way to her bedroom. Sure they fucked each other senseless over and over again until her limbs were a useless, quivering mess. Sure they woke up several times to continue where they left off. But that's all it was- mindless fucking. She was certain Tori would be horrified in the morning, would run away and tell everyone what a dirty, soul sucking whore she was. And strangely that didn't bother her as much as the fact that she would never hold her like this again.

This is what ate away at her- she would never wake up to find Tori cuddled against her side, a small smile playing on her lips, her fingers splayed across her hip in a possessive but loving manner.

"Do you always stare at people when they're asleep?" Tori rasped, her eyes closed.

Jade's breath hitched. How long had she been awake? She felt her skin grow hot. "Only with people who pretend to be asleep." She said coolly.

"I didn't want to disturb you."

The silence was loaded, the tension growing until Jade felt the pressure would physically crush her. "So what now?"

Tori shifted, looking uncomfortable. Jade couldn't fault her. Sighing, she retracted herself from the Latina's grip and turned on her side, facing the wall. She had a sudden urge to run down to her car, to the one place she knew she could find all the release without the consequences. She scratched at an itch on her side, an itch that never seemed to go away, not realizing she was doing so obsessively until Tori laid a calming hand over her own and intertwined their fingers together.

"You're hurting yourself," the singer whispered, a shiver running down her spine as her lips brushed the shell of her ear. Images of the things they'd done flashed across her mind's eye. Her body began to warm up, her nerve endings on fire and her skin hypersensitive to her touch.

"You should probably get going." Jade mumbled, moving away from her touch. It burned her, Tori's touch, it burned her! She half expected to find imprints of her long fingers on her shoulder. _That's ridiculous, _she told herself. No. It didn't burn- it felt good, too good and THAT'S what burned her, the fact that she craved her touch.

Tori sighed, pushing a few stray strands away from her face. Talk about awkward. Unconsciously, she'd pulled her knees up to her chest, her chin resting on them while she fiddled idly with the sheet wrapped around her chest. "Is it me?"

Jade snapped her head, an almost disgusted look on her face. "Not everything is about you, Vega."

"Then why are you being like this? I don't understand."

Several minutes passed, Tori growing frustrated with each silent second until she growled and threw the sheets off of herself, not caring in the slightest that she was as naked as the day she was born. She could feel Jade's eyes tracing every curve, dip, and dimple, that heated, hungry stare that made her knees weak and her chest tight.

Jade pressed her back against the headboard, her eyes closed. Tori was leaving, she was leaving and she was going to sit there and do nothing because it was for the best...

"Do you want to know why I kissed you?'

Then again, when did she ever give a damn about what's best?

Tori stared at the brunette's side, drinking in every detail of her profile; the way the corner of her eye reminded her of an exotic cat lined in black; how the paleness of her skin contrasted against the dark ash brown of her hair , making her even more striking; the pout to her full lips, lips that only hours ago had explored, touched, and tasted every inch of her skin... But the thing Tori liked most about Jade was her eyes, deep, striking emerald eyes that could hide nothing.

Taking a tentative step, she deposited herself in Jade's bed, watching her hands, how they trembled slightly. "Yes."

She sucked in a breath, some part of her wishing she'd said no. But that's Tori Vega for you, frustrating, irritating, obnoxious... sweet, caring, and so damn beautiful.

"I kissed you because I've wanted to since the showcase." From the corner of her eye she saw the brunette's jaw slacken. "I saw you walk up there and I thought, "damn she's beautiful," but then I heard you sing and I knew I was in for a shitload of trouble. Beck and I argued that night."

"Why?" Tori whispered.

She scoffed, shaking her her head, dark locks cascading down her shoulders. "He knew I liked you."

"Are you?..."

"No." She said firmly. "It's only happened once before but Beck knows about it... how he almost lost me. He was furious the night of the showcase. I think that's why he kissed you in Sikowitz' class, he wanted to get back at me. And he did. I saw you kiss him and I knew I would never get a chance."

Tori frowned at her hands. "Is that why you're always so mean?"

Jade nodded. "I thought it wouldn't be so bad if I pushed you away but you just kept coming and coming and coming. And, well, I realized pushing you away wasn't going to work.. . Say something." She pleaded in a whisper, refusing to open her eyes. She didn't want to open them and find Tori sneering at her, disgusted by her appalling revelation, nor did she wish to open them and find the Latina had left her. Alone again.

Instead of slamming doors and hysterical screaming, Jade felt the bed shift beneath her then dip as Tori came closer. Her breath hitched, warm breath tickling her lips. "I think I like you, too." Tori confessed.

This time when they kissed it was slow, sweet, and as innocent as a 16 year old's kiss could be. Jade felt her body heating up, but she somehow managed to keep herself in cheek. Tangling her fingers in Tori's hair, she pulled her closer, deepening their embrace, closing the distance between their naked bodies.

Kissing Tori was like kissing clouds, soft, refreshing. Yet, it was deliciously sinful, the tip of her tongue sweeping her lips bashfully hinting at something wetter, hotter, faster.

"Jade," Tori gasped, her body jerking as the brunette ran the pad of her thumb in circles against her inner thigh. "Jade, please."

"Sorry." She grinned against her lips, gazing into her dark eyes. "I can't help myself."

The Latina chuckled, playfully swatting her arm. They shared twin grins, so big they hurt.

"So where do we go from here?" She wondered. She'd never been interested in girls before, how exactly did that work? Who held the door open for whom? Did she pull Jade's chair out, or did Jade pull it out for her? Would Jade carry her books? And hold on! She was getting way ahead of herself.

Now there was a thought: Jade West and Tori Vega. Would their friends call them Jori or Tade? Would Cat squeal and drag them both down in a spine crushing hug? Would Rex be a pervert? And what about Beck?...

Jade watched as Tori's expressions morphed so fast they gave her whiplash. She went from confused, to happy, to pleased, to anguished all in the span of thirty seconds. Spotting her hand resting in her lap, she took it gently, brought it to her lips, and with great care kissed each one of her knuckles.

"What do you say we don't think about that right now?" She proposed, a smile tugging at her lips. "I can think of a few things I would rather be doing."

Tori smiled softly, pushing the emerald eyed beauty down. "What do you have in mind?" She purred suggestively.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Now fellas, fellas, I know I put this down as rated M, and pinky promise I swear I was going to write steamy goodness. But then I got to thinking and realized, If I write it now, then there's nothing to make them read the sequel. Come on, I know you're all a bunch of Nymphos.<strong>

**Now, below I have an alternate ending. Yes, an alternate ending because I just couldn't decide which I liked better. What you do is, you read it, and then you tell me off of which ending you want me to base the sequel on, okay? Please vote otherwise I can't write. And remember, I can't please everyone so... yeah... ^^**

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><p><strong>(Alternate Ending)<strong>

...This is what ate away at her- she would never wake up to find Tori cuddled against her side, a small smile playing on her lips, her fingers splayed across her hip.

"Do you always stare at people when they're asleep?" Tori rasped, her eyes closed.

Jade's breath hitched. How long had she been awake? She felt her skin grow hot. "Only with people who pretend to be asleep." She said coolly.

"I didn't want to disturb you."

The silence was loaded, the tension growing until Jade felt the pressure would physically crush her. "So what now?"

"You should go home," she whispered harshly, "Beck's coming over."

Tori caught her breath, Jade's words hit her like a physical blow. "Wow, okay." She scoffed, sitting up. "Look, Jade, I know what you're doing, and it's not going to work."

"What are you talking about, Vega? Beck's my boyfriend."

"How can you say that?"

Jade frowned, her emotions etched deep into her features. "What did you expect?" She snapped, all but throwing herself out of bed. She worked in a heated frenzy to collect her discarded clothes. She found her jeans first and jammed them on. She forwent the bra and simply slipped on her white hoody. "We fucked, Vega, it's not a lifetime commitment."

Tori found her blouse and slowly worked her arms into the sleeves. Next came her panties, then her dark denim jeans. She brought her knee up to her chest, her fingers numbly tying her shoelaces. "All those things you said last night, were they a lie?" She whimpered, her expression a mask of grief.

The emerald eyed brunette buried her face into her hands, groaning. "I was high... We're actresses, Tori. We act."

"So you're just acting like a bitch right now?" The Latina whirled, "You're acting like none of this affected you?'

She shrugged, luscious waves bouncing with the movement. "That's the one thing I don't have to act out. Ask anyone, they'll tell you I'm a bitch."

A minute passed, Tori staring at Jade with a look of disbelief while she picked at her fingernails in her patented 'I'm bored out of my mind' pose. The seconds ticked by and she felt her resolve slowly trickling away. She needed Tori to leave and now before she broke and she realized just how much everything HAD affected her.

Luckily, she was saved by the startling sound of her phone blaring Atreyu. She spared Tori one more glance before strolling over to the night stand and scoping up the small device. "What?"

"I'm coming over." Beck's smooth voice announced.

"Fine."

"Okay. Love you, babe."

Chocolate brown eyes caught her gaze in the mirror. "Love you, too."

Tori bit her lip, dark brows hanging low over darker eyes.

Jade tossed the phone onto her bed, holding the brunette's gaze.

"You don't love him."

She shrugged, "It doesn't matter." She snatched her keys off of the dresser. "I'll give you a ride home."

Tori pulled away from her touch as if she'd been burned. Jade's stomach dropped. She wished she could explain, to lessen the blow, make the pain go away. But she couldn't, she didn't know how and did what she knew how to do best- push Tori away.

"Don't bother."

"Tori-"

"No, Jade. It was all just an act, wasn't it? Just a stage fight, right?"

She wanted to say no, that it wasn't just a stage fight, that last night had been the most real night of her life and it was all because of her.

"Yes."

Tori grabbed Trina's keys from the bed. "See you around, Jade."

Jade stood rooted to the spot. Every instinct told her to run after the Latina, to make her come back, to make her stay. But she couldn't. She feared this lack of self control Tori made her feel; feared that she could have so much power over her with just a glance; feared that she could have so much influence over her life without even being aware of it. She feared Tori Vega and Jade West did not do fear well.

Snatching up her cell phone she sent a quick text to Beck saying her father had just asked her to go with him to Santa Monica for the weekend. She pressed send then dialed the one number she knew by heart. It rang once. Twice-

"Jade do you have any idea what time it is?" Cat's sleepy, irritated voice came through the speaker.

"$500."

Cat whistled appreciatively. "Trouble in paradise?"

Rustling rang through the other line. Cat was changing no doubt. "Yes or no?"

"Be there in ten. I can cut you a sick deal if you're up to it."

The line went dead. Jade stared at the small contraption in her hand. Cat would be pissed that she hung up on her but she would get over it quickly enough. Right now she really didn't feel like dealing with the eccentric ways of her best friend. She didn't feel like dealing with anything or anyone for that matter and Cat could help her out with that.

Plopping down on her bed, she stared at the now empty mattress. Tori was gone, and chances were it was for good this time. So be it. She could deal with Tori not being hers, but she would never be able to deal with having had her then not having her. It would kill her. It was better this way. The Latina was beautiful, talented, and loved. She had everything going for her. Jade wouldn't be the one to mess that up. She would never forgive herself if she did.

Still. . . a part of her wished she could tell her the truth. Last night she was ready to turn her entire world upside down just for the chance to wake up beside her again. She spent the better part of the night tracing her features, burning her image into her head- just watching. She was ready to jump through burning hoops for that girl. And then she saw the bruises, still angry, deep purple and black. And it shocked her right out of whatever silly head space she'd crawled into.

She hurt Tori. She didn't mean to, but she hurt her regardless of whether she meant to or not. She'd be damned if she ever laid another finger on her. She'd rather chew her own arm off.

Tori was fragile, vulnerable, easily bruised, soft. She was stubborn, rough around the edges, hard- the complete opposite of what she needed.

The doorbell rang twice, the chime echoing into the silence of the mansion. This house suited her; outside it was beautiful, stunning, all the rave and envy. But inside it was dark. Empty. Just like her.

She found Cat leaning against the door, decked out in a tight, cleavage busting yellow tank top, outrageously short denim shorts, and a pair of yellow stiletto Jimmy Choos. Her bright red hair, even more vivid against the navy blue of her walls, made her slightly dizzy.

A slow, lazy smirk set itself on her glossy pink lips. "Hey Jade. Want to try something fun?"

"What do you have in mind?"

Cat sauntered over to the bed and dropped herself beside her, the door shutting with a small click.

Starting now everything was going to be like before. When her biggest problem was making sure the janitor's closet was empty before dragging Beck inside with her to have sex. It isn't what she wanted, not anymore. But she was the type of person to antagonize herself, to keep herself away from what she truly desired.

So she pretended. It was just like acting, like stage fighting- it wasn't real.

Acting is what Jade West did best anyway.


End file.
